Erosion Control Issues at Multiple Sites (Tuesday, June 29, 2021)

The following photos from 24 sites were taken on June 29, 2021. All but three of the sites are in the Zilker neighborhood (two are in Barton Hills and one is in Bouldin). Thirteen of the sites are in the Barton Springs Zone. There was a little over an inch of rain in the morning between about 3 am and 5 am. There is evidence of sediment leaving the sites but much of it was swept away with the runoff and is no longer visible.

Back to erosion control issues on other dates.

2506 Cedarview (in the Barton Springs Zone)

This site is almost never in compliance. Obviously, they are getting ready to landscape, but they haven’t started yet. Erosion controls are required to be maintained until the landscaped is established. The piles of mulch socks really don’t provide any control. This is in the Barton Hills neighborhood.

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2504 Cedarview (in the Barton Springs Zone)

This is next door and downstream of 2506 Cedarview. The upper left hand part of the driveway has no controls and will just runoff onto the driveway. There is sediment across the driveway and collected behind the carts in the downstream photos. If the carts had not been there, it would have just gone into the storm sewers, leaving little evidence of sediment leaving the properties. This is in the Barton Hills neighborhood.

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2206 Montclaire (in the Barton Springs Zone)

You can see how much sediment came off of this site before it reached the mulch sock. The sediment has overflowed the top of the mulch sock (Photo 1). The mulch sock did stop some of the sediment from leaving the site, but this site is much too steep for a single mulch sock to control. In addition, the mulch sock is open-ended (Photo 2) and there was very likely sediment leaving the site around the right end. This site is going to be a continuing problem if additional controls are not installed.

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2109 Ann Arbor (in the Barton Springs Zone)

The photos are really along Meadowridge. One entire section of silt fence has been removed (Photo 1). The mulch sock is open-ended and will not prevent runoff from leaving the property (Photo 2). The uncontrolled big piles of dirt are actually on the adjacent property (2012 Meadowridge).

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2012 Meadowridge (in the Barton Springs Zone)

Uncontrolled piles of dirt (Photo 1) and no controls at all along the street (Photo 2). You can see some of the sediment in the gutter (Photo 3), although most has been swept down the gutter to the stormsewers.

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2104 Ann Arbor (in the Barton Springs Zone)

Sediment has left the site (Photo 1). It is not clear whether the mulch sock was not in place or just swept to the side by the runoff leaving the site. The silt fence is flattened (Photo 2).

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1903 Collier

No controls across driveway. Sediment visible leaving site.

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2002 Peach Tree (in the Barton Springs Zone)

The site is not fully landscaped. No controls along street (Photo 1). Controls pulled back or flattened (Photo 2).

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2024 Ford (in the Barton Springs Zone)

Silt fence completely flattened by lumber and lying in gutter along with sediment.

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2006 Ford (in the Barton Springs Zone)

Landscaping not completed. No erosion controls. Sediment in street.

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2012 Oxford

Mulch is not a perimeter control. The water carried the mulch and overflowed the mulch sock. Mulch socks are not of any value just lying in the gutter. Sediment and mulch in gutter and street.

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2010 Oxford

Mangled and flattened silt fence at one of the low points of the property (Photo 1). These mulch socks are totally ineffective at stopping runoff and sediment (Photo 2). Some are so torn up that they are even contributing to the problem. Some of the sediment from 2012 Oxford, 2010 Oxford, or both was slowed enough by the recycle cart downstream to be deposited (Photo 3).

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1711 Nash

Landscaping not complete. No erosion controls.

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1604 Juliet

No perimeter controls. Plywood is not an erosion control method.

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809 Azie Morton

One corner of the silt fence is crushed (Photo 1). The triangular dike and the silt fence meet at a low point with only a mulch sock bridging the gap (Photo 2). This might work on a relatively flat site, but it will not work on a site this steep and with so much runoff. You can see some of the sediment that has left the site. There is sediment all along Azie Morton downstream of this site.

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1201 Azie Morton (in the Barton Springs Zone)

It is unclear how much sediment is coming off this site without seeing it while it is actually raining. However, these triangular dikes are not going to be sufficient. The silt fence really needs to run further up the slope.

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1209 Azie Morton (in the Barton Springs Zone)

This single mulch sock at the bottom of the extremely steep slope is not going to be sufficient. The water will just run around the end of the mulch sock.

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502 Dawson

This one is in the Bouldin neighborhood. No controls across the entrance.

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1813 Spillman

Rip in silt fence.

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1819 Spillman (in the Barton Springs Zone)

Silt fence not properly backfilled and does not extend all the way up the driveway (Photo 1). The water is able to simply go under the silt fence because it was not backfilled at the driveway. Sediment from this site has been deposited at the corner of Spillman and Folts (Photo 2). This photo of the sediment is mostly covered with water, but there is a significant amount and some of it is visible above the water surface. Some of this sediment could be from the construction at Ashby and Folts. In any case, it needs to be cleaned up by one of the builders or both.